Not only was the smell so bad that every dog within a 16 block radius was cowering in fear, but the appearance wasn’t much better. Holes in the wall and doors, destroyed carpet, broken light fixtures, disgusting appliances.

If you’ve been a landlord for any period of time, you probably know exactly what I’m talking about. If not… don’t worry, you will. No matter how well we screen for the perfect tenant (seeTenant Screening: The Ultimate Guide) you may still have a problem. Recently, for me, it was a tenant we “inherited” when we bought the property and were forced to evict.

Perhaps you have a lot of money and can simply hire a contractor to come in and total remodel the place. Maybe you have a property manager who will take care of the problem.

Great!

However, that’s not me (yet) and I often find myself with a hammer and bleach after a nasty tenant turnover. It’s not that I like doing it, but when contractor bids are coming in around $10,000 to get the property turned over, I can’t help but get in there and do what I can to save some money. (I know, I know… a lot of you are cringing at that, saying my time is better spent finding deals. Perhaps that’s a debate for another day…)

Therefore, this article is for the DIY landlords out there, those just starting out, and those who just want to save money and fix problems themselves. The following are 8 tips that I use to get my rental properties fixed up and rented back out quickly. Keep in mind – I’m not saying this is exactly how you should do it, I’m just letting you know how I do it. Perhaps there is a tip or two in here you can use to save a few bucks on your next tenant turnover.

Each day, while I’m out there picking up rent, recording an episode of the BiggerPockets Podcast, or watching the latest episode of The Walking Dead – they are working to ensure I can continue living this lifestyle in peace. So before I move on: if that is you – let my just say a very sincere “Thank You.”

This guide is meant to serve as a starting place for those looking to invest in real estate while serving in the US Military. Just to be 100% clear – I’ve never served in the military, so only writing from the perspective of one who has a pretty good view of the US investing world and enjoys explaining things!

Obviously, there are numerous branches of the military, as well as numerous different jobs, duties, responsibilities, pay scales, and locations for those serving. You might be located within the States, or you may be serving abroad. You may have a family, or you may be living alone. Maybe you are full time, or perhaps you are a “weekend warrior.” Maybe you’ve been in the military for years and make a great salary, or maybe you are fresh out of boot camp.

The possibilities are endless – therefore, I will not attempt to say “This is exactly how you should start investing.” This would be pointless – every investing strategy should be designed around the place where your abilities, your finances, and your goals meet.

You don’t need a guy on stage telling you about the millions you will make. You don’t need the informercial with the shiny red convertible and the pretty ladies. You don’t need another book, another course, another mentor.

You need to get off the couch and do something.

After all, a year from now, you’ll wish you’d started today. (Yes, go ahead and Tweet That.)

I’d like to convince myself that it’s not my fault… but I’m a terrible liar.

It is my fault.

At least 99% of the time.

I’m talking about my landlord problems. We all have them and 99% of the time it’s because I don’t follow “the rules.”

When we are children, we believe our parents set up rules just to be mean, but as we grow, we realize those rules are fundamental in keeping us safe and progressing properly through life.

The same applies for the “landlord rules.”

They matter, and they are there for a reason.

When I follow the rules, things generally go well. When I deviate from my rules, and decide to do my own thing… well, things go down hill fast. I get crazy stressed, my wife and I start arguing, I don’t get to watch “House of Cards” with my sweetheart, and I go to bed hungry.

And somewhere a puppy is crying.

It’s not fun.

So today I decided to write down “the rules” in hopes that I won’t break them as often. When I look back on the problems I’ve faced in the past few years, nearly every major incident could have been avoided or better managed had I simply stuck to the rules.

Hopefully this list will help you as well.

If you notice any item on this list I forgot to include, do me a favor and add it in the comments at the bottom. Let’s get this list up to 100. Maybe more. Then maybe landlords, as a whole, won’t make so many mistakes.

That’s what I told my agent when she asked me what kind of house I was interested in buying.

I was 21 years old and looking for my first home; I knew nothing about real estate, but I knew one thing: I wanted to buy a cheap house. At the time I was making barely over minimum wage so I wasn’t buying a cheap home because it fit into some master investment scheme… I wanted a cheap house because it fit in with my budget.

Can you identify with that?

I got lucky on my first deal and found a great, cheap home that I was able to fix up slightly and sell for substantially more money a year later. Since then, I’ve learned that whether you are shopping for your own personal home or for a house to flip or rent out, finding cheap houses for sale in your market is imperative to securing your financial future. However, depending on what part of the country you live in, this might be difficult with the increasing competition in the real estate space.

How you define “cheap” is obviously relative, but this guide should give you a starting point for finding the lowest-priced houses in your neck of the woods.

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